A project to develop scenarios of possible future uses of the Celtic Seas region will inform a report used by stakeholders to discuss a vision for the area and inform marine management.

The LIFE+ Celtic Seas Partnership has contracted ABPmer to develop scenarios of the possible future uses of the Celtic Seas region. The resulting foresight-type report will be used by stakeholders to discuss a vision for the area and inform subsequent marine management actions.

The Celtic Seas are used for a range of human activities. Encouraged by EU drivers such as Blue Growth and the Atlantic Action Plan, economic activity in the Celtic Seas is expected to expand substantially over the next 20 years, potentially resulting in greater demand for the limited space and marine resources, leading to increased conflict between maritime sectors and negative impacts on the environment.

Understanding how commercial sectors might use the region in the future can help stakeholders and decision-makers to collectively work towards the development of a shared vision and the actions needed to achieve it.

Stephen Hull, Technical Director at ABPmer said:

“We are delighted to assist The Celtic Seas Partnership in this ground-breaking project. Our seas are increasingly under pressure. Marine plans and other management measures can help to ensure that environmental limits are respected and that our seas are managed sustainably.

The future scenarios that we develop will be used within the Celtic Seas Partnership project to develop a shared vision amongst stakeholders of how they would like to see the Celtic Seas region develop. By understanding possible options and their impacts, stakeholders will be able to make more informed choices in developing a vision for the region.”

The Celtic Seas Future Trend project is being managed by WWF-UK with oversight provided by an Advisory Group comprising members of the Celtic Seas Partnership. The project is inspired by similar reports produced by WWF for the Baltic Seas (2010), and for the Mediterranean (2016).

The Celtic Seas Partnership is a four-year LIFE+ project, bringing together sea-users, scientists and governments to help achieve healthy and sustainable seas.  The Partnership focuses on delivery of a key piece of European legislation - the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). It aims to draw people together from across the Celtic Seas to set up collaborative and innovative approaches to managing their marine environment.